MY GOD. HE POSTS TWICE IN A WEEK. What can I say, I am in a chatty mood.

Here’s what you need to know about the series with Nippon Ham: 2-1. Really, that’s the most important part. We’ve had our troubles against the Fighters in recent years but they’ve lost a lot of guys and are in a bit of a reloading phase, I think. Still, they have plenty of top line players like Nakata, Yoh, Yoshikawa, Masui, and Takeda to be damn dangerous.

In the third game Karakawa took the hill and was by no means either consistent or dominating but you could see some of the brilliance we know him for (and was lacking in his first two starts this year) creep back in. Tonight’s line – 7 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K, and only one run. That’ll usually get it done, especially with rookie Matsunaga and the ever reliable Masuda in the pen to back him up. 5 runs on 8 hits and 8 BBs by the bats helps, too. 5-1 is how it ended.

The run scoring has been spotty all year but one thing is pretty constant – the guys are getting on base. Tonight it worked out well, last night hard-luck Fujioka couldn’t get any runs to help him out. Hopefully this smooths out over the season.

Speaking of Fujioka, he is the Prince of Consistency, though I am not sure he’d want that title after these three starts. Check it out:

7 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 110 pitches
7 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 107 pitches
7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 112 pitches

Sort that any way you want, it’s the same start over and over. We’d like those starts to be better but at least he’s been decent.

Playing time for our up-and-coming stars has lead to great production so far. Daichi went on a tear again tonight, 3-5 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Ishimine got the start again and again delivered – 1-3 with an RBI. Give ’em a chance, that’s all I can ask for. But where is T Ogino? Hmmmmmm.

I’m slumming in a picnic box for the first game of the set with Rakuten on Friday. Lately I’ve been mostly in the outfield and this is the first time in the picnic boxes for the year. I’m sure I’ll be back in the outfield next week. Tomorrow should be an interesting game – ace Naruse vs Rakuten’s second round pick Norimoto. Norimoto got the win in the 17-5 beatdown we took at K-Sta a couple of weeks ago, so I think it’s time we return the favor. The forecast says…. Wind blowing out and kinda strong – looks like fun.